Chapter 23 On the Rebellion of Flatland
by Gaia Eirene
Summary: An alternative ending to Flatland, begins after the end of the book. A. Square's grandson, the hexagon, realizes his Grandfather was right all along. He is determined to fight the circles and free his Grandfather from his undeserved punishment. Oneshot.


_A/N: This started out as a project for my calculus class. We were suppose to write a two to three paragraph alternative ending to Flatland; needless to say, I got a tad carried away. I was actually really happy with how it turned out. It is in the point of view of A. Square's grandson, the little hexagon to whom he tried to explain the third dimension. The story picks up about where the book leaves off. I tweaked the timeline a little, but basically its a 23rd chapter. So anyway, read on and enjoy. _

**23. On the Rebellion of Flatland**

My Grandfather had been in jail for two years now. When he had first tried to explain to me the theory of Spaceland, I had believed he was joking. Things of that nature had never before been allowed in Flatland. It was heresy. After his arrest, I wondered if he had been telling the truth, if it was not some big understanding. I felt ashamed, not because of his arrest, but because I had not believed him. My Grandfather had been attempting to divulge to me a greater truth and I laughed at him. He had realized that I was on the brink of conformity with in the Flatland Society; within a few years, my beliefs would coincide with the commonly accepted beliefs and I would not be open to the ones he had to offer. Had I been able to comprehend his explanation, I might have been able to prove to the others. I may have been only a child, but there were things in the Art of Geometry which I understood better than many adults.

I began a correspondence with my Grandfather while he was incarcerated. He was quite worried about the family and if we were victims to the consequences of his actions. I had assured him that things were perfectly fine at home. However, they were not; my Mother and Grandmother were no longer welcome among the other women and my Uncles were at risk of losing their statuses and jobs in the Assembly Hall. In fact, one Uncle already had for acknowledging my Grandfather's existence. I was fearful for my Grandfather, despite the fact that he appeared to have no concern for his own being. My Great Uncle, his brother, had expressed alarm that my Grandfather may be disposed of in a manner similar to that of an Irregular polygon. I hoped that would not be the case.

I had come to believe that my Grandfather was not a traitor nor a rebel, but simply a curious mathematician. I myself had wondered about a third dimension beyond our own, but my Grandfather had truly experienced it. I had decided that, due to my Grandfather's apparent innocence, it would be my duty to free him from his unlawful captivity. It took some time to develop a following among the younger members of Flatland. I spoke with my closest friends and tried to describe to them what my Grandfather had recounted to me. At first, they were reluctant to join my cause. Their young minds soon began to grasp these new strange concepts and we agreed that jail was no place for a great mathematician like my Grandfather. Among our followers were, mostly, hexagons and pentagons, a few squares, and one or two equilateral triangles. The most surprising in our ragamuffin group were the women, a rebellious circle in training, an isosceles triangle, and an irregular square.

My mother surprised me with her intelligence. I had been raised that women were incapable of understanding and thinking, but my mother was rather clever. She, masking as a circle, snuck into various lessons at the University of Wentbridge. It was incredible risky for her to do so; she believed that women were as capable as men. After studying her secret lessons, she met with other women in Flatland. There were maybe five of them; since women were practically invisible from one point of view they could easily mask their numbers. They gathered at nights, sneaking away from their homes to discuss arithmetic and geometry. They had also involved an irregular square in their meetings. He had narrowly escaped termination due to the similar properties he had with perfect squares: parallel lines, four right angles, and so forth. His only imperfection was that all his sides were not equal; he had two sets of parallel lines which were equal and neither set was equal to the other. My mother took him in and incorporated him into her group. She believed that no being was inferior to another and given the proper education anyone could have a higher intelligence and be contributing member of society.

On the formation of this band, we began to develop a plan of action. We would need to infiltrate the jail and release my Grandfather, after which he would be able to explain to us further his revelations of dimensionality and we could inform the rest of Flatland. We agreed that the women should be the ones to infiltrate the jail itself, being practically invisible, and we others would serve as a distraction. On the night prior to the planned attack, I received a vision, which I can only assume was similar to those that my Grandfather was witness to prior to mine. I was carried far above the surface of Flatland and was able to look down upon it. I saw what looked like my home, in which many guests were present; our entire troupe had stayed the night to prepare for the next day. For the first time, I witnessed the true shapes of a circle, a triangle, a line. It was fascinating. I heard then a voice from behind me. I saw what appeared to be a circle from a distance but its size was slowly changing, increasing and decreasing.

"How Circle," I asked "do you make yourself change so quickly?"

"I am not one circle, but many. I am a Sphere, the same that visited your Grandfather, young one, and revealed to him the third dimension."

I saw near the Sphere, what ever that might be, a woman and a dot, what perhaps maybe a female infant.

"Who are you all?" I questioned.

The woman was the first to answer me. She was difficult to understand because her voice sounded as if two voices had meshed into one. "I am of Lineland. I live in a one dimensional world where only the view of our neighbor is in our sight and society interacts through our voice."

Her concept was strange to me and I wanted to question further. However, the tiny infant spoke before I could interrupt. "I am of Pointland. I am in constant solitude. To me, you are nothing more than a voice inside my mind."

"You see," began the Sphere once more, "We are the Keepers of Dimension. Your Grandfather became one of us when I revealed to him the third, my own, dimension. We know the truths about other worlds. He brought to our attention the possibility of further dimensions, which before we were not able to comprehend. It is vital that you succeed in your plans."

At this point, I had become frightened. If this stranger could know of our plans to help my Grandfather escape, the Circle Council could know as well.

"Do not fear. No one else knows of your intentions. We only come to offer our assistance," the dot said, relaxing some of my fear.

I began to relate to them our plan of action. All three listened intently, in silence. The silence continued for a moment once I had finished as they processed our strategy.

"Distract the guards. I will ensure that your Grandfather is safely removed from the prison." announced the Sphere and with that I awoke in my chambers. It was time to put our plan into action.

We arrived at the jail just as the guards were changing shifts. The change would serve as an excellent source of confusion as we began our distraction. We invaded the jail, shouting and yelling. Silently, the women slipped past us towards the cells. We continued to antagonize the guards while they chased us around, never quite catching up. We heard a loud shout from the cells and I, leaving the others, went to investigate. Before my eye, my Grandfather vanished. I shouted to him, hoping that he was near. A yell from somewhere out of my sight assured me that he was alright. His good friend, and now my acquaintance, the Sphere had dropped into his cell and helped him to escape.

"Follow my voice. We are going to the Assembly Hall," shouted my Grandfather. I called to the others and we headed in the direction of the Hall.

At the Hall, Isosceles Triangles guarded the entrance and prevented us from entering.

"Turn back, young polygons. Go back to your homes. This is no place for you," the Chief Circle ordered.

I felt a sudden urgency within me. We could no longer allow society to continue the way it was. It was unfair and oppressive. It was time for change.

"We will not turn back. The knowledge which we possess is a great asset to our society. Without this knowledge, we are no better than the lowliest irregular." Upon hearing my own words, I regretted them, knowing that I knew of at least one irregular who I would consider far above his status at a level close to my own.

"You have much potential, young one. Do not throw it away over these lies. Your Grandfather is inferior compared to the knowledge which you will possess with time. Let his inane ramblings go." His words infuriated me. I would not give up so easily. I called for the others to attack and we did. We forced the Circles so far back into their chambers that they became wedged between one another. It was a long and hard fought battle, but we won.

We were joyous at our victory but it had not come without costs. We lost a number of loyal members, among them my irregular friend. We vowed to not allow their deaths to be in vain. We took control of Flatland and began to organize a reconstruction of society. There were many things that we wished to address. We would reintroduce color to society as a way of expressing individuality. Everyone was to receive the same education and irregulars would no longer be eliminated. Everyone deserved a chance to prove themselves. We also began elections so the people could decide their leaders. Sides and angles no longer determined status. Everyone was given an equal chance; even women were allowed to enter the University. We set ourselves on a path to becoming a free and greater society.

My Grandfather continued to express his theories of Spaceland and further lands to the public. Instead of the criticism he had received, he was met with grace and respect. The younger generation was devoted to his ideas. They dedicated themselves to making new discoveries and encouraging others to do the same. After a few years, he retired, though his theories and ideas lived on and were taught in the University to those students who could comprehend them.

I went on to marry a beautiful deep purple woman and we had two children. My son, though slow to start, has done very well at the University. I have high hopes for my daughter; she has displayed an intelligence which I am proud to say she received from me. One day, she may be elected an official of Flatland.

Flatland has truly changed forever.

_A/N: What'd ya think? I think it's pretty good for a Math class. But anyway, reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated. _


End file.
